Secrets and Lies
by FadeIntoTheBackground
Summary: My first proper Bones fic! Centres around Brennan, who is having trouble with some kind of killer after her. Little does she know that the killer could be closer than she thinks. Its better than it sounds! I hope... Please review!
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, so this is just a new fic I came up with randomly. i didn't really plan it, I jsut wanted to write a new fic. And I have no multi-chapter Bones fics. I hope it turns out ok, I want it to be long, but I may just stop writing it if it isn't popular. Anyway, so yes, this is weird and random, and maybe a bit OOC, but it will get better, I promise. **

**For Emily, thanks for letting me invade your house on Friday night :P  
**

**Disclaimer: I own a Bones boxset. Not the programme.**

_Battery Low._

The message flashed up on the little screen, just as it always does, at the time when you most need your cell phone.

Brennan stood in the rain, making the most of the water running down her face to disguise the salty tears joining them. Crying wasn't her thing. Sure, she did it, people had to cry didn't they? But crying for no reason....that was just...well, it didn't happen. It couldn't happen. It had never happened before. But it was happening now, and she didn't know why. Sometimes the pressure just got to you. The pressure of work, everyday life, things people didn't always want to do but had to.

But not her. Brennan wasn't one of those people who cracked under pressure. She never had been and she knew it.

So why was she acting like that now?

She tried one more time, holding down the number 3 on her cell, the speedial to her partner, Booth. The phone gave one final flat beep and the screen went blank. No more hope.

She headed for the nearest bar, trudging through the darkening streets in the rain, and used the pay phone in the back with what little cash she had. Her plan had been to ring Booth, but now she thought about it, there was someone else that she would rather speak to, someone she was never tired of speaking to.

He picked up after two rings.

"Tempe?"

"Tyler, hi."

"Tempe, are you ok?"

The strength to smile to herself came out of nowhere. How did he manage to do that to her?

"How did you know there was a problem?"

"Tempe, we've been going out for almost two years. I know you well enough by now. And now I'm worried. Where the hell are you?"

"I've had a problem. The case was ok. We've almost got enough evidence to take it to court, but... Well, I'll explain later, its just that I'm really tired and I'm stuck about thirty miles away, so can you come and pick me up?"

"Sure, I'm just glad you're ok."

"I will be," She told him, before giving him directions and hanging up.

It felt like hours later when his familiar four by four drew up outside the bar, and she hurried out from under the canopy in the street and climbed in.

"Hey gorgeous," he ran his fingers through her wet tangled hair and leaned forward to kiss her. "You don't look too great."

"Really? I feel better already," She kissed him again, enjoying the sudden rush of warmth and enthusiasm he always gave her.

"Lets go home and get you cleaned up." He turned the car and they sped back into the streets towards home.

Brennan peeled off her wet coat and dropped it by her feet before huddling into the comfortable leather seats, hugging herself to try and keep warm. An ever-observant Tyler saw and turned up the heat.

"So what happened?" He asked her.

"It was a nightmare. Well, Booth got the facts right, his scenario looks possible for once, and we just have to tie together a few loose ends before we can head to court."

"That's great Tempe, congratulations, I know this has been a tough case."

She nodded.

"But how come you're out here?"

"We had to do some investigating of the place that this guy used to work. We packed up most of the tools that we found. We can see if any of them are the murder weapon when we match them to the marks on the victims skull. It is quite unlikely though." She shrugged. "Anyway, it was getting late and Booth's having Parker for the weekend so he went to pick him up, he offered to take me back to the lab or home but I wanted to stay for a bit and have another look around."

Tyler twiddled the wheel and sighed. "Typical."

She gave him a look before continuing. "The guys there are creeps. When I'd finished looking round the outhouse buildings I went back to the main office to tell them I was leaving but they had already locked up and gone home without telling me. So I just walked into town."

"Why didn't you ring from your cell?"

"Oh, the battery's flat, I tried to ring Booth and it just-" She broke off. "What?"

He looked at her. "What?"

"You rolled your eyes just now."

"I didn't."

"Yes you did. When I mentioned Booth, I saw you roll your eyes."

"I don't think I did."

"Tyler, I saw you. Why?"

He kept his eyes on the road and ignored the question.

"Do you....have a problem with Booth?"

"No. Of course not Tempe, I think its great you have a work partner like that and you are obviously such good...friends."

"Yeah. Friends." She raised an eyebrow but then decided to let it go.

They drove in silence for a moment, before Tyler broke it. "Why didn't you just ring me?"

"I told you, my battery died."

"I mean you were trying to ring Booth first, why him? He was busy, I wasn't, I would have come straight away, you know that."

"I know Tyler. And I did ring you, once I went to that bar."

"I was a last resort though. Did you ring Booth first?"

Brennan was slightly surprised. Tyler sighed.

"I'm sorry Tempe, I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it. I was just worried about you anyway."

"Its ok. You're here now."

"Yep." Tyler grinned at her, then took one arm off the steering wheel to put it around her.

It wasn't long before they were back at his apartment.

Tyler was rich, his father had died when Tyler was nineteen and he had never met his mother, nor had much to do with his father. He had spent most of his childhood in and out of nurseries and in between nannies and childminders. With his fathers business having been successful, Tyler now had enough to not have to work, and could afford many luxuries, including his spacious apartment, at which Brennan now seemed to spend more time than her own.

Despite his obvious wealthy demeanour, Tyler was friendly, considerate and intensely good looking. Brennan was happy with him. He always made her feel good.

They both drank wine and ate Chinese, then went to bed together late, and woke up late in the morning. For the first time in a long time, Brennan was properly happy.

**As I said before, it gets more interesting! Please review, I really need help with this, I would love to hear your thoughts :D**

**Alice **


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh dear :/ Well, this chapter, its not great, please don't expect much. Saying that, I was thrilled with the feedback I got for the last chapter, the story alerts and stuff :) Thanks a lot. I meant to UD a lot faster than this, sorry guys. As ususal, life gets in the way. And I will UD Searching For Yourself, I'm just having a bit of trouble with it right now, but if you could maybe review that, I would get a move on (major hint there)!**

**So thanks anyway, here it is, kind of a filler I'd say :/**

'But anyway, this guy, Brian, he keeps sending me mixed signals right? One moment he seems genuinely interested in me, the next he's just on about himself or interested in the physical side of our messed up relationship.'

'Angela, I'm thinking this is more of a girls conversation, so tone it down a bit yeah?'

The young, dark haired artist grinned at Booth over the top of the clipboard. 'Sure you don't want more of an insight into girls minds?'

'Positive.' Booth checked his watch again. 'Geez, where's Bones? She's getting later now every morning!'

'That's understandable,' Angela told him. 'She's with her _man_.'

'Oh yeah,' Booth frowned. '_That _guy.'

'You say it like it's a bad thing.'

'It is if she's going to be late on a Monday morning. They had all weekend together.'

'Come on,' Angela's grin spread. 'You just can't face seeing Brennan with another man. Especially one like Tyler.'

The beep of Brennan's pass into the lab sounded too late, and soon enough she was behind them asking 'What was that about Tyler?'

'Bones!' Booth turned around. 'Nice of you to finally show up,' he raised his eyebrows.

'I've been busy Booth, no need for a sarcastic tone!'

'Forgive him sweetie, he's a little jealous,' Angela cut in.

'Jealous?'

Booth glared at her. 'Cut the crap Angela, we haven't got time. Bones, I've been waiting for you all morning, we have a case, so lets go.'

'Don't think you're getting out of my interrogation, I'll save it for later,' Brennan told him as he led her out of the lab.

* * *

'So what's the new case?' Hodgins asked on Brennan's return, followed into the lab by Booth.

'Its a murder case, likely to be a serial killer, bodies found, killed with a simple shot to the head, but they all have connections of some kind. Distant relatives the FBI thinks, although I also noticed a similarity in the environments in which the bodies were left. Its pretty vague and will need more investigation.'

'Glad you're back at last,' Angela and Sweets came into the lab. 'You have a visitor.'

'I do?' Brennan looked confused.

'Tyler,' Angela told her. 'He's still keen I see.'

'You never talk about him,' Sweets put in.

'I'm here to identify dead bodies, not to discuss my relationships,' Brennan told him sharply. 'How long has he been here?'

'About half an hour. He wanted to wait for you and take you home. Sweets used the time to have a little chat with him.' Angela stifled a giggle.

Brennan put her hands on her hips and turned to Sweets, who was struggling to keep an innocent expression. 'Don't tell me you tried to read him or something through your psychology?'

'I had a go.'

'And?'

'I reckon he's a bit shifty, his eyes are pretty close together and he kept looking at all the files on your desk. He was having a shift through them when I walked in.'

'I don't care. You shouldn't have been in my office anyway.'

'Perfect. I can't trust anyone now!' She turned on her heel and stormed towards her office.

'Bones! Hey, Bones! I thought we were going to look into that case!' Booth shouted after her, but with no response.

Brennan practically stormed into her office. 'Tyler!'

He jumped, and looked around from her desk, quickly letting a folder he had been holding flop back onto the desk. 'Tempe! You startled me. I was just, er...having a look around. Hope you don't mind.'

'No. I don't.' She walked slowly over to her desk, and Tyler took a hasty step back. Brennan immediately noticed that a bunch of files and neatly organised papers seemed to have been shuffled about, and moved. 'Been looking through my case files?' She asked, working to keep a casual tone.

Tyler's face went blank. 'I- no.'

'This file wasn't over here, and I those documents were in alphabetical order, they aren't any more.'

Tyler was visibly stumped. 'Yeah, that guy, the young geeky one...'

'Sweets?'

'Yeah, him. He was having a look around your desk earlier.

A normal woman might have just accepted it, just let it go in order to avoid an argument.

A normal woman. Not Brennan.

'No he wasn't.'

Tyler looked up. 'Sorry?'

'Sweets would never poke round my desk. It must have been someone else.'

Tyler's eyes flashed, and for a moment he looked almost angry. But then the moment passed, so quickly that Brennan even wondered if she could have imagined it. Tyler was not an angry person.

'Oh Tempe,' he chuckled. 'You and your mind. I often wonder what goes on inside your ever-organised head.' He closed the gap between them in a few strides and pulled her into a kiss before she had time to react.

Brennan's doubts began to melt away as he kissed her, how could she ever have suspected him of rifling through her desk? And did it matter if he had? He knew her so well, it didn't matter. She had nothing to hide from him. She let go of her thoughts and let them swirl away inside her head. Before being interrupted by a cough. She and Tyler both broke off and turned their heads to the doorway.

Booth. Great.

He leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, staring very pointedly in the opposite direction, before looking at them both and pretending to act surprised.

'Ah! You're finished! Finally. Bones, I need to talk to you.'

'Now?'

'Yes, now.'

Brennan looked apologetically at Tyler, who nodded and said 'I'll wait outside.'

She waited until he had walked out of the door and around the corner before turning to Booth, who had walked into her office.

'Do you _mind?_'

'Relax, I only wanted to talk about the case.'

'Yeah, well couldn't that _wait_?'

'Not really, unless you want to give the killer time to select more victims.'

'Doesn't mean you couldn't have been a bit more polite and waited five more minutes!'

'That's how long you would have been? You're at work, you have plenty of time to yourselves at home.'

'Don't get involved Booth.'

'I'm not, although Sweets is right, he even looks dodgy.'

'You don't even know him,' Brennan gritted her teeth with frustration.

'Yeah, well I guess its just unfortunate that he happens to look sneaky, even if he isn't.'

'Do you want to talk to me about the case or not?'

'Forget it, we'll sort things out tomorrow, hopefully you'll be in a better mood.'

He strode out, leaving Brennan standing by her desk, fuming.

Tyler drew back fast as Booth came out, although not fast enough.

'Listening outside the door?' Booth raised his eyebrows scornfully.

Tyler took a step forwards. 'Dodgy am I?'

'This just confirms what I thought, you must be if you won't even let your girlfriend have a bit of privacy.'

Tyler's face muscles tensed, something which Booth didn't miss.

'Yep,' he nodded. 'Definitely suspicious.'

Brennan walked out of her office, right into the angry, confrontational scene. 'Booth!' She spluttered. 'What the hell?'

* * *

'Tempe?' Tyler put his head round the bedroom door, where Brennan was sitting on the double bed, reading. She looked up at him.

'I'm going out tonight, if that's ok,' he told her.

She shrugged. 'Sure.'

'I won't be back too late, maybe half eleven?'

'Ok.' She was still angry and withdrawn from arguing with Booth earlier. Tyler could tell, so he came over and kissed her goodbye, making her smile briefly and her head whirl, before grabbing his keys and heading out of the apartment.

Fifteen minutes later, Brennan finished her book, and wandered through to the living room. She wasn't interested in watching TV, and figured going on the internet would be better. She wanted to email Angela. Her laptop was at the lab, so she picked up Tyler's and sat on the sofa with it on her lap.

It wouldn't switch on. Assuming it was out of power, Brennan reached around to plug the charger in, when she noticed that the back of the laptop, below the back of the screen, wasn't on properly. Maybe a wire was out of place and that was why it wasn't turning on.

When she pulled the back off, a large scrunched up sheet of paper came out. Curiously she unfolded it.

_Property of Dr T. Brennan. _It said at the top. _Do not remove from Dr Brennan's office: Jeffersonian Institute_

Below that was the Jeffersonian crest. It looked just like every other document she received. But why was it in Tyler's laptop?

She smoothed it out a little more, and discovered that each word on it had been scribbled out, stabbed and blotted messily by a thick black marker pen.

She frowned at it, and gave up trying to make out any of the words.

What _had _the document been doing in Tyler's laptop? Since when did he take documents from her office and hide them at home?

'_Great,' _She thought. _'Another person I cant trust.'_

**You see what I mean? Not great. But I had to post something. I promise it will get better! I'm literally begging for reviews, they really do spur me on, so please!**

**Thanks so much, Alice **


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